Dear Friends and Colleagues,

For over a year now, I have been a member of Vistage, an international business advisory group for chief executives and business leaders. During this time, I feel that I have become a better leader and manager for my firm through the use of the programs and tools they offer. One such tool I find particularly interesting is their quarterly CEO Confidence Index Survey.

Each quarter, Vistage surveys all of the CEO's in their advisory groups nation wide, and publishes the results. I felt that some of the current trends in the most recent survey would be of interest, and hope that you'll all be able to utilize this information as I have.

Some of the highlights from the Vistage First Quarter 2012 survey include the following common themes:

• Overall economic conditions have improved from a year earlier, however there is still a threat
• Sales revenues and profitability will increase over the next 12 months
• There will be an increase in the total number of employees over the next 12 months
• The health reform bill will have a negative effect on businesses
• Businesses have become more productive with fewer employees

For the full survey, please click here or visit www.benharoffice.com/confidenceindex.pdf

I hope you find this survey useful and informative and that we all prosper in the months ahead.

Best regards,

Mark Benhar

by Michele Manna, Director of Operations, Benhar Office Interiors 

Benhar Office Interiors is always on the lookout for ways to excel in internal and external customer service, and it is because of this philosophy that we are one of the few companies adopting an Aligned Leadership structure within our organization. Aligned Leadership is a way to ensure that all of the people, plans, processes, systems, decisions and behaviors in our organization are tied to our company’s mission, values, goals and objectives.

Benhar Office Interiors adopted the Aligned Leadership structure in March 2011, and in the short period of time since its inception, we have definitely seen its rewards. Not only has our sales volume increased, but the office as a whole is also benefitting from better company moral and more effective and efficient work habits. “Since the adoption of the Aligned Leadership structure,” says Mark Benhar, President of Benhar Office Interiors, “our organization has become more cohesive and well organized.” To monitor these changes, each staff member has been given a list of goals with specific targets to meet over a defined period of time. This highly streamlined process has allowed for pointed workflow, shared responsibility and accountability, and a positive feedback loop, which as stated, has impacted our bottom line as well as work environment. The result of this is a more efficient management structure that can track the progress of these goals and can continually define new ones. With this structure in place, we have also become a better external organization, and have been able to better communicate with clients about the status of projects and deadlines.

The Benhar mission statement is to build a distinguished and financially strong organization whose high standard of excellence is embraced by its employees and clients, as well as the community we serve. This mission falls in line with our internal vision statement of expressing to the staff not only what the company is striving towards achieving, but also how we will evolve and grow through these achievements. The Aligned Leadership structure has allowed us to improve and better implement these values, principles, ideals and guidelines. It has also given our staff a unified standard to refer to for all decision making and behaviors taken while satisfying our customers’ needs on a day to day basis. Simply stated, it has made us a better organization from inside and out.

Benhar Office Interiors is proud to introduce you to Canvas, the newest line in the Herman Miller family. Incorporating their Vivo and Intent product lines, Canvas provides choice, harmony, and connection for individuals, groups, and communities. Born from a desire for a holistic way to create work environments that can be changed and scaled to the needs of the customer, Canvas provides choices for working in a wide variety of ways: working alone or together, assigned or unassigned, casual or formal. A Canvas landscape is harmonious aesthetically, socially, and visually. Made up of a simple set of elements that can link in a holistic way and come together to further work, Canvas fosters connections that are evident technologically, socially, and organizationally.

Canvas is the logical extension of over 50 years of Herman Miller research into work and workplaces, and we invite you to take a look at some key points for how it can create aesthetic and functional harmony throughout your office.

A holistic, integrated workplace that matches their business: Canvas provides a comprehensive set of elements from which customers can create an entire office landscape that moves from workstation-centric to community-centric work environments.

Work environments that can change with their business: Canvas offers a set of wide-ranging elements capable of creating a broad variety of individual, group, and community spaces. Over the coming years, the Canvas platform will develop continuously, leveraging advances in technology and sustainability.

A landscape that can scale to fit their needs: Canvas offers choices to create complete, unified landscapes of great variety, beauty, flexibility, and scalability in price, application, and aesthetic. Canvas is unified materially and it is easy to customize.

Support for their commitment to sustainability and LEED: The low Canvas profile provides access to daylight and views across the entire office landscape. Canvas also allows smaller workstation footprints and higher density occupancy. Canvas is designed according to our cradle-to-cradle protocol and is GREENGUARD certified, helping you achieve LEED credits. Canvas components are 69% recyclable. Frames are 100% recyclable steel; a typical workstation has 36% recycled content.

Workplaces and workers that perform at a higher level, with increasing collaboration: Canvas landscapes can become places of realized potential. Canvas supports the work of groups using technology and fostering creativity. For example, multiple screens and massive cabling and power can be integrated into benching applications that maintain human connections and collaborative interactions.

Aesthetic flexibility and continuity: Canvas gives designers the freedom to create the aesthetic that matches their customer's particular needs. A wide variety of looks are possible through combinations of finishes and colors. And since all Canvas elements share consistent design features, Canvas lets designers specify a consistent, unified throughout a workplace.

by Zoe Hutzler, Principal, Mantis Marketing 

Social Media is all around us. Facebook and Twitter icons are on websites and business cards, and easy to use apps enable customers to pre-purchase, order and access menus on the go.  New media and its applications are being brought to market every day with no sign of slowing down, and the fact is that Social Media is not a trend. Its use is growing exponentially and it is not going away.  The question we are all now faced with is “how does Social Media apply to our industry & how do we apply its benefits to our businesses?”

If you haven't been using Social Media for business, you should seriously think about doing so. If you have however, there are a few points to consider when determining what the direct business applications are.  If you have Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, and maybe even a blog, explore them thoroughly so you not only know how to use all of the features, but also the best ways to utilize them. Create a calendar of updates and decide what information would be of interest to your audience. If you clearly define goals for the type of Social Media you’re using, you’ll have something to measure your efforts against, and in turn, recognize the benefits.

As with all marketing activities, you must develop a plan that integrates your goals for Social Media strategies. Begin with the basics: explore your brand and objectively evaluate it. Is your brand message strong? Does your visual brand appear current?  The power of a focused and strong brand can help define your true target audience. When you really know who you’re talking to, you can streamline your message and feel confident in what your brand is promising your clients.

Next, tackle the type of Social Media you believe has an application to your business. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for professionals, but you have to determine if you are truly utilizing its networking capabilities. Are you actively seeking out new connections? What follow-up procedures have you set in place for new connections?  A blog is a great way to disseminate news articles and in-depth product and project information.  Conversely, Twitter allows you to send frequent blasts of information in 140 characters or less, which is perfect for a new project byline, or new hire announcement.

So the question remains: how does this apply to our industry?  The answer is that Social Media provides us with a 'floor to ceiling' flow of news and announcements that provides end users with the knowledge of ‘who is doing what’ in the industry, in real-time.  When a new office is being built or redesigned, you can find out who the contractor is, who leased it, and who is providing instrumental services such as interior design, furniture, etc.  For end users, this flow of information is vital to the business cycle as they look to hire or purchase goods and services from companies within our industry.  This stream of news is more pointed, concentrated and up to date than traditional media outlets and with a next to nothing price point, is more cost effective as well.  What could be better than that?

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I have reached out to you many times over the years since the inception of Benhar Office Interiors to share projects, news, new hires and otherwise. We are undergoing some substantial changes here and thought it was time to share with everyone. 

It is with great sadness that Bob Maurer, my business partner and longtime friend, has chosen to leave our firm. This was a very difficult decision for Bob, and in the end was a quality of life choice. His daily 4-5 hour commute was becoming increasingly difficult and he decided on a solution that has him working much closer to his home and family. Our entire team will miss him, but we all wish him well on his new endeavor.

With Bob’s departure and an internal realignment, we have a number of additional announcements, new faces and amazing promotions to share.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome Michele Manna as our new Director of Operations. Michele has over 20 years of experience in the contract furniture business, working at Herman Miller and Steelcase dealerships, and brings her wealth of experience to our team. Her management style and years in the field will allow for a seamless transition. We are truly excited about her joining our team and look forward to her contributions to our continued growth.

We also welcome Dave Cohn as our new controller. Bringing over 25 years of experience in the accounting and contract furniture business, Dave will be our pillar of fiscal responsibility.

Additionally we are extremely excited and proud to welcome our very own Liz Hair to the Executive Management Committee. Over her years at Benhar Office Interiors, she has become a key decision maker and her contributions to our firm have not gone unnoticed. Her understanding of our company and our industry will continue to be a great asset as she further gets involved in all key decision making, strategies, and the continued success and growth of all of our team members.

Other notable additions and promotions include our two additional Account Executives, Lisa Tartaglia and Ed Baust, as well as the promotion of Fran Mazzaglia to Junior Project Manager, responsible for running the support teams for Lisa & Ed.

As all of these changes take place, I would like to personally assure you that we will continue to service you with pride and excellence, and look forward to celebrating all of your continued successes in years to come. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or comments.  The lines of communication are always open and we look forward to speaking with you soon.

Best regards,

Mark Benhar

When asked to sponsor the S.A.S. Studio Nights, Mark Benhar of Benhar Office Interiors jumped at the chance to participate. Tempting the industry's inner Picasso, the Secret Art Society Studio Nights put together a studio series of S.A.S 'Dress for a Mess Events'. With all proceeds benefiting the Give Your Art Foundation, attendees were asked to participate in their favorite art mediums and have their work judged by a panel of renowned designers.

Mediums ranged from live model figure drawing, painting, collage, assemblage, and sculpting with clay, wire and wood, all taking place at Novo Art's studio in Chelsea. The panel, made up of Cindy Allen of Interior Design, Stephen Apking of S.O.M, Joan Blumenfeld of Perkins + Will, Bill Bouchey of Mancini Duffy, Rick Focke of H.O.K., Dale Alan Greenwald of Cannon Design, Tom Krizmanic of Studios Architecture and E.J. Lee of Gensler, have selected 20 exceptional artists from the attendees. The selected artists' work will be exhibited and auctioned at the final June S.A.S Salon, with all proceeds going to the Give Your Art Foundation.

The Give Your Art Foundation is dedicated to providing art for charitable institutions that have little or no funding to procure art for their facilities. Funds raised from S.A.S. events will go directly to providing art for local shelters, AIDS facilities, hospices and non-profit hospitals.

In 1931, the world's most iconic building opened it's doors. Standing over a quarter of a mile high in the heart of New York City's midtown skyline, the Empire State Building has long been a symbol of progress, triumph and American ingenuity. With recent aesthetic restorations completed in the lobby, hallways and other common areas, this world renowned New York resident has had another recent transformation of sorts. In an effort to bring 21st century sustainability practices to this eighty year old edifice, a collaboration of players - the Clinton Climate Initiative, Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI), Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), and Rocky Mountain Institute - converged to create millions of square feet of earth-friendly office spaces.

With over 2.8 million square feet of leasable office space in the Empire State Building, the task of 'greening' it was no easy feat. From over sixty vetted energy-saving ideas, eight were finally chosen. The results were astounding: over 38% energy savings for the building as a whole with annual cost reduction in the neighborhood of $4.4 million. As part of that energy savings package, the Empire State Building has developed the first LEED Platinum pre-built space in the city to serve as a model for all office spaces in the towering structure.

To make that pre-built space happen, the Empire State Building team turned to Herman Miller and its local dealer partner Benhar Office Interiors. Using a mix of the most sustainable products and services on the market, the final solution included:

• Convia, a Herman Miller company that acts as an electrical infrastructure used to monitor, measure and control HVAC, lighting and plug loads in any space
• Energy Manager, a Herman Miller product that can offer energy control and monitoring at the workstation level
• Herman Miller Greenguard certified products such as Ethospace, Intent and Geiger

The Convia technology has played a critical role in the energy management of the Empire State Building's pre-built tenant space. The building owners are looking for tenant participation to reduce energy consumption by 17 percent. Together, HVAC (30% - 35%), lighting (30% - 40%) and plug loads/office equipment (12% - 18%) account for nearly 93% of the total energy use within a building. Convia addresses all three of these areas with a simple and intelligent control and management platform. Within the prototype space, the Convia technology offers a whole building level of control, providing sustainable solutions for everything from the building infrastructure to the individual workstation, including new advancements in plug load control through Herman Miller's Energy Manager device.

Energy Manager, which is embedded in Herman Miller's Intent and Ethospace workstations in the space, is a device that senses occupancy and controls power in the open plan furniture to save energy and lower costs. When a person sits down to work, an occupancy sensor detects their presence and turns on the devices in the cluster plugged into those two circuits, known as 'plug loads' (e.g. task lights, printers, monitors or chargers). When the cluster is unoccupied, the devices automatically shut off. With plug load energy expected to rise by 70% over the next decade, Energy Manager provides an effective solution to control this energy. In addition, Energy Manager can help track real time occupancy data, potentially saving a corporation on real estate costs.

But not to worry fellow New Yorkers. There are no plans yet to shut off those famous, evincive lights adorning the buildings summit just yet!

Smiles. Laughs. Teddy-bear hugs. Those are the best gifts to give and to get, and every year in early December at the We Care event held in Harlem, NY, they are in no short supply thanks to the hundreds of preschool and early school aged children and the 150+ volunteers from across the Architectural+Design community and Herman Miller family who come together to share in some holiday cheer and crafts. Now in its thirteenth year, We Care is part of an annual national program in which design professionals donate their time, expertise and materials, as well as decorations and refreshments, for an event filled with the jubilation that only the Holidays can bring.

Approximately 465 children from The Children's Aid Society's Dunlevy Milbank Center, Dunlevy Milbank Day Care, Drew Hamilton Center, Frederick Douglass Center, East Harlem Center and Taft Day Care in Harlem and East Harlem, who may not otherwise have gifts to give to their families, create an array of handmade crafts, take pictures with Santa, and have their faces adorned with holly, snowmen, reindeers and the like. Aided by top New York City architects, interior design firms, Herman Miller and Benhar Office Interiors, the gym at Dunlevy Milbank Center is instantaneously transformed into Santa's workshop and a winter wonderland.

Benhar Office Interiors has been a part of volunteer 'craft stations' since the company's inception six years ago. This past December, children at the Benhar station customized blank white hats into works of art and holiday expression using stencils, color markers, and mannequin faces. Other stations included making ornaments, bags, jewelry boxes, fabric pouches, candles, reusable totes, decorative gloves, sun catchers, wooden photo cubes and notebooks. As a finishing touch, the children are helped with wrapping their hand made gifts so they are ready to give

In giving their time, the volunteers are paid back triple fold with every smile, every hug, and with the endless sound of laughter from children who truly appreciate the gifts they are not only getting, but also the ones they are giving.